Passengers at Türkiye's Antalya International Airport faced a difficult day on Wednesday, September 9, as 13 flights to Russian cities and Belarus were delayed, with the longest delay reaching eight hours.

The most significant disruption involved an Aeroflot flight to Nizhny Novgorod. Flight SU 725 was scheduled to depart at 11:00 but was pushed back to 19:00, resulting in an approximately eight-hour delay, according to tourprom.

According to Turprom, several less-frequent destinations were also affected, including Mogilev, Mineralnye Vody and Adler/Sochi. Pobeda delayed three flights to Vnukovo and Kazan, while Aeroflot also delayed its Sheremetyevo service by around 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Other major delays included a Ural Airlines flight to Mineralnye Vody, delayed by about 6 hours and 25 minutes, a Red Wings flight to Saransk, delayed by more than five hours, and a Ural Airlines flight to Domodedovo, which was pushed back by nearly six hours.

The disruptions left dozens, potentially hundreds, of passengers spending far longer than planned inside Antalya Airport's Terminal 2.

Turprom reported that travelers have complained about the high cost of food and drinks at the airport. A bottle of water reportedly costs around 200-250 Russian rubles, while coffee can cost €4-€5 or more. Sandwiches are priced at around €12, while food from fast-food outlets and other airport restaurants can also be expensive.

One passenger whose Nizhny Novgorod flight was delayed for eight hours reportedly said that drinks and food for a family cost about €40.

Another traveler affected by the Mineralnye Vody flight described spending six and a half hours in the terminal, saying food prices were comparable to those at an expensive restaurant.

Under Russia's aviation rules, airlines have obligations toward passengers during significant flight delays.

After two hours, passengers should be provided with free soft drinks and given the opportunity to make two phone calls or send two electronic messages.

If the delay reaches four hours or more, the carrier must provide hot meals. Further meals should be provided every six to eight hours, depending on the time of day.

If a delay reaches eight hours during the day or six hours at night, passengers are entitled to free hotel accommodation, transportation between the airport and hotel, and luggage storage.

The report also notes that if a flight is part of a package tour, passengers may need to submit their claims to the tour operator rather than directly to the airline.

Even when delays are caused by circumstances such as bad weather or airspace restrictions, the airline's basic obligations to provide passengers with food, drinks and accommodation remain in place.

Passengers may also be entitled to financial compensation under Russian law, including compensation for certain documented losses caused by a delay.

Travelers are advised to keep boarding passes, photographs of airport departure boards, airline notifications and receipts for food, accommodation and transportation. Such documents can be important when filing a claim.

Turprom said passengers generally have six months from the date of the flight to submit a claim, while airlines are required to respond within 30 days.